“He plays music. He has friends. He loves playing video games and he loves his cats,” said his mother Cathy Hughes.

But Christian has a form of autism similar to Asperger’s syndrome, which was said to afflict Adam Lanza, who police said shot 20 children and six adults before turning the gun on himself at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., on Friday.

Hughes said the news of the shooting made her sad and angry.

"Someone with Asperger’s, someone with autism, is not able to premeditate something of this magnitude," she said.

Hughes said she's already heard from a friend who told her the diagnosis has made her son a target.

“Her son was bullied today by a group of friends who said, ‘No wonder you're a loser. No wonder you don't have any friends.’ I don't want that to happen to my son. I don't want that to happen to one more individual,” said Hughes.

Those with more severe diagnoses may end up before Judge Beth Lazzara, who runs Allegheny County's mental health court.

The court makes sure people with mental illness who commit crimes get counseling and medication.

“We have one gentleman who comes in every week that we see him just to make sure he stays on course,” Lazzara said.

Lazzara said the court has a good track record, but in the wake of the Newtown shootings, it’s still not enough.

“It's a wonderful system we have for people who have committed crimes, but it’s a shame we can't do something at an earlier time before the crimes occur,” she said.